About

Located at Pukekura Park in the heart of New Plymouth, the TSB Festival of Lights is a seven-week, free event made up of beautiful light features and epic events including music and daytime activities for kids and seniors.

NPDC loves bringing this ultimate summer festival to New Plymouth every year.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Lights on 8.30pm – 11pm every night, rain or shine

At 10.45pm a siren will sound at the band rotunda to notify you to vacate the park before the lights are switched off.

Getting to the festival

Pukekura Park's main entrance is 10 Fillis Street, which is just a 10-minute walk from New Plymouth’s CBD.

Festival Hub

The Festival Hub is the place to go for all festival information, maps and more. Enter via Pukekura Park’s main gates and you'll find it.

Dog Control

A temporary dog ban is in place throughout Pukekura Park from 7pm to midnight for the duration of the festival.

Parking

During the festival, the Bellringer Pavilion car park is pedestrian access only. Parking is available at TSB Stadium carpark, located off Rogan Street, at the Rogan and Victoria Street car parks and surrounding streets. Accessible/limited mobility car parking is located along Fillis Street. You can view parking options on the festival map.

Entertainment Stages

Please bring low chairs and picnic blankets to sit on while watching performances. If you do need a high-backed chair or have pushchairs or wheelchairs, keep these to the sides and back of the lawns so you don’t obstruct the view of others.

Alcohol Control

During the entertainment programme, alcohol may be consumed in a responsible manner on the stage lawn where an act is performing. This applies until 10pm on the Hatchery Lawn and Fred Parker Lawn. A park-wide alcohol ban is in place for all other areas of Pukekura Park between 7pm and 7am. Failure to comply may result in seizure of alcohol and/or arrest and prosecution.

Smokefree

Please respect other festival visitors and New Plymouth District Council’s smokefree parks, playgrounds and sportsgrounds policy by refraining from smoking and vaping within Pukekura Park.

Recycling

Waste Management is helping to keep the festival tidy. Look for the labels on wheelie bins and make sure you put your rubbish into the appropriate bin. If a recycling bin gets tainted with non-recyclable rubbish it all goes to the landfill, so please work with us to help keep our festival and park clean and green.

Free Regional Buses

Catch a ride to the festival for free!

Buses will be running:

Saturday 4 January
Saturday 11 January
Saturday 18 January

Buses depart from:

Hawera/Eltham/Stratford/Inglewood
Urenui/Waitara/Bell Block
Opunake/Okato/Ōākura

Phone 06-757 5783 to register. Departure details will be confirmed at the time of booking.

Bookings close at midday, one day prior to the event. You must be 14 years or over to use this bus service unless accompanied by an adult.

Book your seat

Food and drinks

Light Bites

Find out about our food trucks nights.

Tea House on the Lake

Tea House on the Lake will be open each evening selling ice-creams and other food and drinks. You can also grab a hot coffee from its cart on the Hatchery Lawn from 26 December.

Picnics

You're welcome to bring your own picnic to enjoy on the stage lawns. Read about our alcohol control requirements.

Accessibility and Inclusion

Getting Around the Park

The light trail has a steep gradient in parts which could prove difficult to navigate for those in wheelchairs or with limited mobility. The festival map identifies all paths with steep gradients.

Accessible/Limited Mobility Parking

Accessible/limited mobility car parking is located along Fillis Street. The festival map has details on parking locations.

Limited Mobility Buggy Tours

Friends of Pukekura Park are offering buggy tours to those with limited mobility who want to experience the festival. Bookings are essential.
Dates: 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28 January
Time: 8.30pm – 10pm
To book: 06-759 6060 or enquiries@npdc.govt.nz. Bookings taken from Monday 2 December.

Wheelchairs

The festival has two wheelchairs available for hire to assist with getting around the park. Bookings are essential.
Dates: 14 December – 1 February
Time: 8.30pm – 10.30pm
Pick up from: Festival Hub
To book: 06-759 6060 or enquiries@npdc.govt.nz. Bookings taken from Monday 2 December.

Mobility Scooters

The Taranaki Disability Information Centre has five mobility scooters available for free hire during the festival.
Dates: 14 December – 1 February
Time: 8.30pm – 10.30pm
Pick up from: Festival Hub
To book: 022 166 8720. Bookings taken from Monday 2 December.

Sensory Musical Experience

Join a Govett-Brewster staff member for a descriptive touch and audio described pre-show tour, before band Banana Mundo take the stage. More details on the event page.

Do our survey and win

You could win one of five $100 Prezzy cards for completing our survey. Simply tell us what you think of this year's festival and you're in the draw!

do the survey

Best Festographer

We’re on the hunt for the Best Festographer!

What we’re looking for: Photos that show the festival from your perspective. We want to see fresh, exciting images. There are three photo categories you can enter.

1. it’s fun: photo that captures people having fun at the festival

2. it’s lit: best photo of a light feature

3. it’s on: best photo of an event

How to enter: Upload your photo to Facebook or Instagram with #BestFestographer, and the category you’re entering: #itsfun, #itslit, or #itson. In order for us to see your image, you have to set it to public. One winner will be selected from entries in all three categories.If you win, your photo will also need to be supplied in a high resolution format for use in our promotional material.

What you’ll win: If you’re the Best Festographer winner, your photo will feature in the TSB Festival of Light’s marketing for the following season, and you’ll also win a $500 French Photographics voucher!

TSB Festival of Lights Best Festographer Terms and Conditions
1. Entry to the competition constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions.

2. To enter the competition, entrants are invited to submit a photograph of the TSB Festival of Lights 2019/2020 to Facebook or Instagram by using the hashtag #BestFestographer.

3. The prize consists of a $500 French Photographic voucher which must be redeemed in-store within 12 months of receiving and their photograph featuring in TSB Festival of Lights’ marketing collateral (“the Prize”).

4. Employees of the New Plymouth District Council (the “Promoter”) and their immediate family members are ineligible to enter.

5. All entries must meet the following conditions:
a) The photograph must be taken at a TSB Festival of Lights event between Saturday 14 December 2019 and Saturday 1 February 2020.
b) The photograph must be received during the period commencing 14 December 2019 and ending on 2 February 2019 at 9am (“the Promotional Period”). Photographs received after the Promotional Period are ineligible for entry.
c) The hashtag #BestFestographer must be attached to the photograph in order to be entered into the competition.
d) Entrants under 18 years must acknowledge that they have their parent/legal guardian's permission to enter the competition. The entrant’s parent/legal guardian will be required to sign acceptance of the terms and conditions of entry prior to claiming the Prize. Children under the age of 13 are not permitted to enter.

6. The entrant agrees that:
a) The Promoter may verify the validity of an entry and the entrant (including the entrant's identity and age) and disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these terms and conditions.
b) The competition is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook and releases and indemnifies Facebook from any and all direct or indirect loss or damage whatsoever as a result of participating in the competition or accepting the Prize except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law;
c) Their name and photograph may be used for promotional, media and publicity purposes (including social media) and other promotional channels of the Promoter now and in the future.

7. Roger French and a Promoter panel will select four photographs (“Selected Photographs”) from the qualifying entries received and those Selected Photographs will be posted on the TSB Festival of Lights Facebook page on 7 February 2020.

8. The public can vote, through Facebook, for the best of the Selected Photographs. Voting for the best photograph commences at 10am on Friday 7 February 2020 and ends at 4pm on Wednesday 12 February 2020 (“Voting Period”).

9. The Selected Photograph that generates the most ‘likes’, ‘wows’ and ‘loves’ on Facebook during the Voting Period will be declared the winning photograph (“Winner”). In the event of a tie the photograph with the greatest number of ‘loves’ will be declared the Winner.

10. Notification: The Promoter will notify the entrant of the Winner by publishing the Winner and the entrant’s name on the TSB Festival of Lights Facebook page on Thursday 13 February 2020. The Winner will also be published on the TSB Festival of Lights website, Instagram and other promotional channels.

11. To claim the Prize, the entrant must:
a) Send a private message to the TSB Festival of Lights Facebook page with their email address and daytime contact phone number; the Facebook profile must match the registered Facebook profile. The Prize can only be claimed by the entrant of the Winner.
b) Submit a high resolution photograph no smaller than 2MB.
c) Obtain and provide the written consent of all identifiable individuals featured in the photograph, and such consent shall authorise the publication of the photograph on the TSB Festival of Lights Facebook page and other promotional channels detailed in clause 6(c).

12. Prize not claimed: Where the entrant does not send a private message by 5pm, Friday 14 February 2020 then the Promoter is entitled to offer the Prize to the photograph that generated the second highest amount of ‘likes’ ‘wows’ and ‘loves’. The Promoters’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

13. The Promoter will not be:
a) Responsible for any technical malfunctions or problems with the internet or network congestion, including any problems with transmission of entries over the internet.
b) Liable, to the fullest extent permitted by law, for any loss or damage whatsoever incurred by the entrant participating in the competition or accepting the Prize.
c) Responsible for the provision of the Prize and is not obliged to provide an alternative prize or take legal action to require the Prize supplier to provide the Prize where the Prize is to be supplied by an entity outside the Promoters’ control and that entity fails to supply the Prize.

14. The Promoter may cancel, modify, suspend, or terminate the competition (including without limitation varying the Prize) at any time by notice published on the TSB Festival of Lights website.

15. Subject to the waiver of privacy as evidenced by the entrant’s entry when collecting personal information the Promoter will comply with the Privacy Act 1993.

FAQs

Parking

Where can I park?
Parking is available at TSB Stadium carpark, located off Rogan Street, at the Rogan and Victoria Street car parks and surrounding streets. Accessible/limited mobility car parking is located along Fillis Street. Between 6pm and 7am the following day, main gate access to the Bellringer Pavilion car park is restricted to pedestrian access only.

Times and Cancellations

What time do the lights come on?
The lights will be on every night from 8.30pm until 11pm from Saturday 14 December to Saturday 1 February.

Do the lights ever get cancelled in wet weather?
No, the lights run as scheduled throughout the festival.

Do events get cancelled in wet weather?
Yes, please check the specific event page and our Facebook page for updates. We make announcements on the day of the event.

Lost Children and Property

What happens if I lose my children?
Although we take every safety precaution in the organisation of events, as a parent or caregiver, you are responsible for supervising your children. We recommend you write your cell phone number on their arm and create an agreed meeting point within your group in case someone does get lost.

What do I do with lost and found items?
If you have lost an item at the park, please get in touch with the NPDC contact centre. 06 759 6060 or enquiries@npdc.govt.nz. If you find something, please take it to the Festival Hub between 8pm - 10.30pm or hand it in to security.

Dogs

Can I bring my dog?
No, for the comfort of all users, please leave your pets at home. There is a dog ban from 7.00pm - midnight during the festival.

Food and Alcohol

Can I bring a picnic and wine?
Yes, you can bring your picnic and wine to enjoy on the Hatchery Lawn and the Fred Parker Lawn during the performances. Please note that a park-wide alcohol ban is in place for all other areas of Pukekura Park between 7pm and 7am.

Are there places to buy food?
Yes, Teahouse on the Lake is open during the festival and on selected dates Light Bites food truck nights will be on.

Bikes

Can I ride my bike through the park?
No, Pukekura Park is a pedestrian-friendly park which gets very busy during the Festival, so please leave your bikes at home. The riding of bikes is prohibited within Pukekura Park at all times.

Donations

You can make a donation to the Friends of Pukekura Park, who help to keep our park beautiful, at the Festival Hub or one of the donation boxes around the park.

About the Friends
Formed in 1996, the Friends of Pukekura Park assist NPDC Parks staff to maintain the unique nature of this award-winning park. If this sounds like something you’d like to be involved in, you can visit their website to learn more and join the Friends.

More info

History

In 1953 a fountain was installed in Pukekura Park's Fountain Lake, to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, with lights installed on Poet's Bridge and around the Main Lake. In 1955 Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited New Plymouth and lights were added to the new fountain for them to enjoy. It was the 1970s when music and entertainment became a feature of the annual lights event, and it was 1993 when we were officially named the 'Festival of Lights'. We have been growing ever since then, and now offer 50 days and nights of events and lights!

Get Involved

Volunteer at the festival

Our volunteers are the face of the festival and provide fun and friendly information points and guidance to people within the park over the TSB Festival of Lights season.

Why volunteer at the festival?

Give something back to your community
Enjoy being out and about, making the most of our summer evenings
Share the experience of volunteering with a friend or family by volunteering together! Or meet new people and make friends
Get an exclusive sneak peek of the festival before it officially starts
Receive an official t-shirt and an invite to an exclusive post-festival volunteers event

If you're interested in volunteering, we'd love to hear from you!

Sign up